Turbomachines such as wind turbines, gas turbines, steam turbines, pumps, fans, generators, motors, and other forms of commercial equipment frequently include shafts, blades, and other rotating components. It is known in the art to install one or more sensors on the rotating components to measure various characteristics of those components in order to control, monitor, and/or enhance the operation of the rotating components. For example, sensors that measure temperature, velocity, stress, strain, vibrations, and/or other characteristics of the rotating components may allow for early detection of abnormalities, adjustments to repair or maintenance schedules, and/or other actions to enhance operations.
Various slip ring and telemetry systems are known in the art for transmitting the analogue sensor data from the rotating components to stator components for further analysis. Analogue and digital signals from the sensors are routed via wires to individual slip or contact rings positioned axially along a rotatable center bore or shaft portion of the slip ring assembly. Stationary contact arms or brushes then provide a signal path for routing the signals from the rotating contact or slip rings to a controller, data processor or the like.
In order to accommodate ever-increasing data requirements for test and operation of the turbomachine, it is necessary to digitize and compress at least some of the analogue signals from the sensors prior to passing the signals on to the slip or contact rings. This requires various electronic components such as circuit boards to be mounted such as in carrier shaft that is coupled at one end to the rotor shaft of the turbomachine. During operation, the various electronic components generate a considerable amount of heat that must be dissipated to avoid thermal fatigue thereto. However, the electronics may be sealed within the carrier shaft. Therefore, a system and method for dissipating the thermal energy away from the electronic components disposed therein would be useful.